Alfred-Emmanuel-Louis Beurdeley bureau à cylindre Paris, circa 1885

amarante, sycomore with fruitwood and ébène trellis-parquetry stringing, the cylinder door with a fruitwood musical trophy marquetry medallion opening to a sliding gilt-tooled brown leather-lined writing surface beneath four small drawers and three compartments veneered in bois de violette and amarante, the frieze fitted with three drawers, the right-hand side drawer with a coffre fort and fitted with a compartmentalized tray,  stamped A BEURDELEY / A PARIS to the underside of the carcass.

D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Français du XIX Siècle, pp. 75-82

C. Payne, François Linke, p. 488, for a black and white cliché of a François Linke variant of the present model with scrolled candlearms, index number 100.

C. Payne, 19th Century European Furniture, pp. 33-34

D. Alcouffe et al., Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Vol. I, p. 283-285 for an illustration and discussion of the 18th century model

Les Nouvelles Collections de L'Union centrale des Arts Décoratifs au Musée du Louvre, Pavillon de Rohan, Armand Guérinet, Paris, pl. 13 exhibiting the 18th century model

Now in the permanent collection of the Musée du Louvre (inv. OA 5226) the original model was made by the celebrated cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener, circa 1784. In 1786, Riesener delivered for Marie-Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau a suite of unusual furniture inlaid with mother of pearl lozenge-parquetry and with silvered bronze stringing, a suite that include the same model cylinder desk (see: Pradère, French Furniture Makers, p. 384-384).

The present model was copied by the leading 19th century cabinetmakers such as Linke and Dasson and, as in the present lot, Beurdeley. The inspiration, most certainly came from the retrospective Exposition de l'union centrale des arts décoratifs of 1882

This desk corresponds with the size of one in the catalogue of Objects d'Art et de Riche Ameublement  the ''Vente Beurdeley,' May 6-9, 1895, lot 290. Another example by Henry Dasson was sold Vente H. Dasson & Cie., Hôtel Drouot, Paris, December 10-12, 1894.